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<title>There's Always Been a Rainbow Hangin' Over Your Head by doctornineandthreequarters</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047480">There's Always Been a Rainbow Hangin' Over Your Head</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters'>doctornineandthreequarters</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Prompts and Drabbles [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evan "Buck" Buckley Needs A Hug, Gen, Maddie Buckley is a Good Sister, Protective Maddie Buckley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:35:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26047480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s raining and Buck is alone.</p><p>The water pounds against the windows, echoing through Buck’s whole apartment. It doesn’t matter how much he puts in the apartment. It doesn’t matter the shades or blinds he buys trying to block out the sound. It echoes, sound bouncing off the wall. It’s almost as if the echoes are mocking him, reminding him of how alone he is.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley &amp; Maddie Buckley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Prompts and Drabbles [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878523</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>There's Always Been a Rainbow Hangin' Over Your Head</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: 74 with Maddie and Buck? <a href="https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com/post/626916567698030592/prompts-for-writing%22">(From this prompt list)</a></p><p>Thank you romeoandjulietyouwish for the prompt.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s raining and Buck is alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The water pounds against the windows, echoing through Buck’s whole apartment. It doesn’t matter how much he puts in the apartment. It doesn’t matter the shades or blinds he buys trying to block out the sound. It echoes, sounds bouncing off the wall. It’s almost as if the echoes are mocking him, reminding him of how alone he is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s raining and Buck is on the bathroom floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can’t remember how he got there. He can’t remember much before the rain started. He just knows that the bathroom is the only place he feels safe. There’s no windows in the bathroom. He can still hear the rain, but at least he can’t see it. He can’t see the water splashing down, can’t feel the water seeping into his empty apartment, reminding him of all that empty space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he can hear it. It’s raining and Buck is alone. And he hates it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The loneliness had crept up on him, even though it had been there for some time. It was there when Abby left. It was there when Ali broke up with him. It’s there every time a shift ends and everyone else has someone to go home to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And it’s there when it rains. Mocking him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Buck?” He can hear Maddie’s voice echo through the emptiness of his apartment. He just sniffs and buries his face between his knees. “Oh Buck.” Her voice is soft and light, not at all filling up the space. He keeps his face hidden, but he hears Maddie pad across the floor before lowering herself down next to him. “Buck, look at me, please.” He finally spares a look at his sister. There’s a sad look on her face as she gently wipes a tear off his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” He asks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t answering your phone,” Maddie says. “I was worried.” He wants to look away because of how she’s staring at him. He knows she’s trying to be helpful and comforting, but it feels like pity to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maddie…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t tell me you’re fine, Buck. You’re not. I can see it on your face.” Buck feels his lip quiver, fresh tears threatening to spill out. “Talk to me Evan, please.” That breaks the dam as the words spill out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I can’t take the loneliness anymore.”</b>
  <span> Maddie just pulls him into a hug as a sob rips through his throat. He buries his face in her shoulder as his resolve crumbles. He’s tired of feeling like this and he’s tired of being alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry Buck.” When he finally pulls away, he sees that Maddie is crying too. Somehow, even with parents who were apathetic at best, they both wear their hearts on their sleeve. “I’m so sorry you feel so alone. But you’re not alone Buck. You have me and Eddie and Christopher and everyone at the 118. You have us Buck. And we’ll be there whenever you need us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Promise?” Buck asks. Maddie smiles, still a little teary-eyed and holds up her pinky. Buck nods, locking his pinky with hers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Promise.” She stands up slowly and Buck follows. Maddie pulls him into another hug and even though he’s almost a foot taller, he melts into it. He can still hear the patter of the rain, but it doesn’t hurt as much, doesn’t chip away at his fragile heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s raining and maybe, just maybe, Buck isn’t so alone.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com%22">Scream with me on my Tumblr?</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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